The Powder River Energy Foundation and Basin Electric have joined forces to donate $10,000 to Climb Wyoming, a statewide nonprofit whose mission is for low-income single mothers to discover self-sufficiency through career training and placement.
The grant will help create brighter futures for struggling single mothers and their families in Gillette by funding comprehensive training sessions, according to program officials. The program includes job training and placement in high-demand careers, individual and group therapy, and life skills instruction including personal financial management and parenting skills.
The funding will help single mothers like Della who graduated from a Gillette Certified Nursing Assistant Program. In her words, “I am very blessed to have been a part of Climb Wyoming. Through the program, I developed a sense of pride in myself while securing a wonderful career that allows my family the stability to have a joyful and fulfilling life. I am truly grateful for the experience and my new, long-term and rewarding career.”
“We are so grateful for the generous support of Powder River Energy Foundation,” said Dr. Ray Fleming Dinneen, Climb founder and executive director. “The need for Climb’s program in Gillette remains great with 32% of single mothers with children under the age of 5 living below the poverty level in 2016. We appreciate that Powder River Energy Foundation and Basin Electric recognize this need and are able to generously support us through these gifts.”
The award is made possible in part by the PRECorp members who participate in Operation RoundUp® Program, and/or donate capital credits from the cooperative. When members sign up for Operation RoundUp®, PRECorp rounds up their electric bill to the next dollar. When the cooperative Board of Directors returns profits to members – called capital credits – many PRECorp members also donate those dollars to the Foundation.
Along with member-driven support, there are special donors to Foundation fundraisers during the year. The Foundation raises funds through matching grants, and events such as the Durham Ranch Buffalo Stampede, and an annual golf event at Hulett.
Since its inception, the Foundation has donated $750,000 back to our communities. The Foundation’s goal is simple - to provide financial and philanthropic support to organizations and causes that have a direct impact in our local communities. The impact of these donations will be felt by the member/owners of PRECorp and the hard-working people of northeast Wyoming.
“Our mission is to improve the quality of life for the people in northeast Wyoming by lending a helping hand to non-profit or charitable organizations,” said Foundation Executive Director Jeff Bumgarner. “Climb Wyoming stands for the same things we stand for by helping people become self-reliant through education and improving the lives of families.”
About Climb Wyoming
Celebrating over 30 years of working with single mothers to achieve self-sufficiency, Climb Wyoming is a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is for low-income single mothers to discover self-sufficiency through career training and placement. Climb graduates consistently double their monthly income and decrease their reliance on public assistance programs, thanks to a comprehensive program approach that includes job skills training, life skills and mental health services. At Climb, success isn’t just about getting a job - it’s about financial independence for struggling mothers and changing the generational cycle of poverty one family at a time. For more information visit www.climbwyoming.org
PHOTO CAPTION:
Receiving a $10,000 donation to Climb Wyoming are, from left, Climb Program Director Stacie McDonald and Climb graduate Della; presenting the check is PRECorp Foundation Executive Director Jeff Bumgarner.